Each year, billions of dollars are spent by U.S. manufacturers to acquire hard and soft manufacturing technologies. Hard technologies are bundle of equipment, computer hardware and software such as computer numerical control, computer-aided manufacturing, robots, etc. In contrast, soft...

Implementations of Six Sigma quality innovation (SSQI) have resulted in performance benefits for several leading firms. While SSQI has its roots in the foundations of Total Quality Management (TQM) and ISO 9000 certification, it presents a set of unique organizational practices and ideas that...

Purpose - Aims to conceptualize flexible logistics programs and information connectivity as two important aspects of logistics flexibility and to examine the role of information connectivity in making flexible logistics programs successful. Design/methodology/approach - A hierarchical regression...

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the prevailing auction and bidding mechanisms in supply chain management. The paper aims to critically examine the implications of these auction mechanisms using the example of the transportation sector. Design/methodology/approach - A framework...

Quality management (QM) has received a high degree of attention in extant literature. Several research papers attribute superior firm performance to adoption of QM practices. The availability of a large number of research papers that investigate the impact of QM practices on performance provide...

In this article we describe and test a theory of complementarities between design-manufacturing integration (DMI) and usage of advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT). This study extends prior AMT research by examining the role of complementary assets in explaining how AMTadoption contributes...

In this paper we distinguish between the internal and external means by which manufacturing plants engage in process technology development. While computerized and equipment-based advanced manufacturing technologies (AMT) are typically sourced from external vendors, plants also develop...

Purpose - This paper aims to examine how firms, operating in mature and growing industries, can improve the alignment of their operations strategy to fit situations characterized by varying rates of industry growth and technological changes. Design/methodology/approach – The authors enhance...